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ice

It's Ice Ball Season

Winter cold means sightings of strange spheres on lake shores.
January 2, 2018
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hobby

Why Ham Radio Fans Want to Spend Next Summer on an Island Full of Bird Poop

Baker Island, in the middle of the Pacific, is also the last place on Earth to ring in the new year.
December 29, 2017
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genetics

The Curious Case of the Shrinking Moose Skulls

Researchers studied 40 years of craniums on an island in Lake Superior.
December 29, 2017
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the year in wonder

We Asked, You Answered: Wondrous Things That Happened in 2017

Atlas Obscura readers wrote to us about their brightest personal moments from the year.
December 29, 2017
Gastro Obscura
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memory

Did Your Grandma Steal That ‘Secret Family Recipe’?

Help Gastro Obscura investigate.
December 29, 2017
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the year in wonder

2017's Most Unusual New Memorials and Monuments

Supermarket cats, rainbow crosswalks, tricked-out Jerry Orbach tribute cars, and more.
December 29, 2017
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telescopes

A Star Photographer On Chasing the Hidden Beauty of the Universe

For over 20 years, Dr. Travis Rector has been documenting elusive cosmic matter.
December 29, 2017
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tradition

The New Year's Feast That Transformed Fools Into Popes and Kings

In medieval churches, hierarchy was inverted for a day.
December 29, 2017
Gastro Obscura
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mind over menu

Why Scientists Once Used Taste Tests as Paternity Tests

Sensitivity to bitterness was thought to be entirely genetic.
December 28, 2017
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greenhouses

The Toronto Greenhouse Where the Victorian Era Bursts Back to Life

Sheltered against the freezing winter, this plant show transports visitors back in time, and to a balmier climate.
December 28, 2017
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china

An Unfinished, 511-Foot Skyscraper Is Being Auctioned Off Online

The answer to the $84 million burning a hole in your pocket.
December 28, 2017
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mammal

The Latest New Species Discoveries From the Greater Mekong

Three mammals, two fish, 11 reptiles, 11 amphibians, and 88 plants, all from the same region.
December 28, 2017
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hendrick's gin

Photos From a Surreal and Snowy Garden Soirée in Southwest D.C.

Who besides Atlas Obscura and Hendrick's Gin would throw an after dark garden party in the middle of winter?
Sponsored by Hendrick's Gin
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the year in wonder

What 2017 Was Like for the World's Oldest Trees

The past 12 months, contemplated in tree time.
December 28, 2017
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christmas

After the Holidays, Christmas Trees Have More Work to Do

They're sheltering aquatic species, keeping out invasive fish, and holding beaches and swamps together.
December 27, 2017
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mail

Belgium's Telegram Service Stops for Good, Stop

It's the end of a telegraphic era.
December 27, 2017
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medicine

The Forgotten Sanatorium That Was Cooled by Cave Air

It was billed as the first air-conditioned building in the United States.
December 27, 2017
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the year in wonder

The Year in Discovery: The 50 Greatest Finds of 2017

From a lost continent to rare seahorses, explore our interactive map of the year's most wondrous discoveries.
December 27, 2017